DOT-COM STARTUP OF THE MONTH.

• Author: PETERSON, ERIC
• Position: Www.bookappointment.com - Brief Article - Company Profile

BOOKAPPOINTMENT.COM INC., LAFAYETTE, www.bookappointment.com

FOUNDED: SEPTEMBER 1999

WEBSITE LAUNCHED: OCTOBER 1999

Initial Lightbulb: Before founding the company, CEO (and sole full-time employee) Richard Honey was working as a software consultant and "a couple of medical practices had asked me about online appointment scheduling. I had no time to do it." "The idea stuck, however, and starting last June, Honey, a UK native who has called Boulder County home for the past three years, sat down to figure out how it could be done. Five months later, BookAppointment.com went live. Since then, Honey has further polished the product in concert with a team of test clients and is making in roads in terms of sales and marketing.

In a Nutshell: For no charge, consumers log onto BoomAppointment.com to book appointments with their doctor, dentist, mechanic, etc. The system handles confirmations and reminders by e-mail, "dramatically reducing administrative overhead," said Honey. Service providers foot the bill by paying a monthly fee of $24.95: each can customize the service to fit specific needs. The sites don't begin and end with setting appointments, however. "We see appointment scheduling as part of a larger customer-relationship management environment," including everything from billing and bulk e-mailing to medical questionnaires and haircut coupons, said Honey. The customer base currently numbers in the hundreds, he added.

The Market: "We've identified about 80 vertical lines that this product is applicable to," said Honey. "A I percent global market share would put us in the league of a multi-$100 million-a-year business." The company currently is targeting both small- to medium-sized...